


alone

by fastestmanalive



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Gen, Loneliness, Self-Hatred, i'm throwing my laptop away goodbye, pre-1x11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-13 06:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3371582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fastestmanalive/pseuds/fastestmanalive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm not sure this is what you wanted but this is what you're getting<br/>I haven't read many of the Flash issues that feature Hartley so I know very little about him and just made stuff up<br/>I just want Hartley to be happy why did I do this</p>
    </blockquote>





	alone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [barryolivers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/barryolivers/gifts).



> I'm not sure this is what you wanted but this is what you're getting  
> I haven't read many of the Flash issues that feature Hartley so I know very little about him and just made stuff up  
> I just want Hartley to be happy why did I do this

It's not like Hartley _chooses_ what happens in his life most of the time; things just kind of _happen_.

Like with his parents – it's not like he had a choice in who they are (he wishes he had, though, his life would be much easier with literally anyone else as his legal guardian). He blames them for the way he is – Osgood is a selfish prick, never there for his family, and Rachel is a vain bitch whose only concern is their social status. Hartley realises these things too late. As a kid, he thinks it's _normal_ to be brought up by nannies, to see his parents once a week at most, to overhear them fighting about money and affairs and if they should send him to boarding school in Europe or closer to home (always Europe, always trying to get rid of him).

His relationship with them – if you could even call it that – comes to an end when Hartley comes out. To be fair, he does it in the worst possible way – in front of his father's business partners, after his dad missed his birthday _again_ , and he knows he has a way with words that will shut up even the most powerful, dignified company owners, but he can't help it. He's angry and he's never felt as alone before. The closest thing he has to friends are his nannies, but they only spend time with him because they're paid to do it. If not even his parents care about him, how will anyone else? How will _he_?

They don't even give him enough time to pack his things before they throw him out. He has nowhere to go – he can't think of a single person who would take him in. So he empties out his bank account before they have the chance to do it.

He leaves the city.

 

College is somewhat of a blessing. Hartley establishes his position right away – he's more intelligent, more resourceful, just generally _better_ than his fellow students, and everyone knows it. They _hate_ it. They start to hate _him_. Luckily, he manages to shove enough money down the administration's throat to snatch a single room, which he's also allowed to live in during breaks; he figures he doesn't need anyone, he's always been on his own.

Even his professors despise him; he's still a straight A student, of course, but whenever he speaks up in class to tell them they're just _plain wrong_ he can see the annoyance and disgust they try and fail to hide. He tries not to let it affect him.

He graduates one and a half years early and leaves.

 

Harrison Wells is the first person in Hartley's life to actually give a damn – he realises his potential and fosters it. He becomes Wells' right hand, has a say in almost every project. Hartley would never admit it out loud, he'd rather kick himself in the face than tell anyone but- He feels like he's finally found _his place_ , and having someone care about him is _so_ much better than being alone.

He realises his co-workers are insanely jealous of his relationship with Wells, but he just doesn't _care_. He doesn't need them. They aren't people he deems worthy of his time. For the first time in his life he's genuinely happy.

That is, of course, until _Cisco fucking Ramon_ enters his life. For some reason Wells latches onto him immediately, calling him _genius_ and _prodigy_. 

Hartley hates him, with his stupid T-shirts promoting pop culture and his stupid smile and his  _stupid_ ability to have Wells believing his every word. In all fairness, he's the first one who comes close to matching Hartley's intelligence, but that doesn't mean they have to be friends. They're not. They never will be.

Hartley has always thought highly of Wells, but when he doesn't heed his warnings about the particle accelerator – which, of course, come true – he starts seeing his true colours. Wells is just as self-assured and conceited as him, but at least Hartley isn't  _killing people_ . 

He leaves.

 

When the explosion of the accelerator affects his hearing, he feels like the pain is going to kill him. He  _hopes_ it's going to kill him; he doesn't really have anything to live for, now, does he?

But then again, he guesses, he can't deny the world his genius. So he works hard at creating a device that lets him regulate his hearing abilities, and constructs sonic gloves for good measure.

This is all  _Wells'_ fault. It's his fault that Hartley had been hopeful, that he had hoped his future would be better, that he'd find someone and be happy and do good things. In hindsight, he never should have let himself believe such fairytales. Wells needs to be taught a lesson.

He comes back.

 


End file.
